Abdur-Rahman
ibn Awf was born around 580 CE and lived for about 75 years. He was born into
a family in the Banu Zuhura clan, part of the tribe of Quraish. The mother of Prophet
Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon him, Aminah, was also
from this clan thus genealogists tell us that Abdur-Rahman was a fourth cousin
to Prophet Muhammad. When Abdur-Rahman died he left an inheritance of what
would today amount to over six million British pounds, and he is often
remembered because of this great wealth. However, although he was a hugely
successful businessman, he did not let his wealth control him. Abdur-Rahman
was motivated by his love of God, His Messenger Prophet Muhammad, and the
religion of Islam, and thus he used his wealth wisely assuring that it would
benefit Islam and that God would be pleased with his efforts.

Abdur-Rahman was one of the close companions of Prophet
Muhammad and his life story is certainly one worth studying and emulating. He
was one of the first eight people to accept Islam.[1] He was one
of the first five people to embrace Islam at the urging of Abu Bakr, only two
days after Abu Bakr himself accepted Islam. Abdur-Rahman is one of the ten men
given the glad tidings of Paradise from Prophet Muhammad himself.[2] And his
remarkable character continued to inspire those around him even after Prophet
Muhammad’s death. He was one of the first three people to pledge allegiance to
Abu Bakr when he became the leader of the Muslim nation and one of six people
chosen by Umar ibn al-Khattab to be in the shura council to choose the leader
after his death.

Little is known of Abdur-Rahman’s early life. He was
born approximately ten years after Prophet Muhammad, and we know that his
family was not poor. At the time of his conversion to Islam he was a trader,
travelling regularly to Yemen. Perhaps even then he had established the skills
he needed to acquire his great wealth. It was whilst travelling in Yemen that Abdur-Rahman
met an old man who spoke to him about a prophecy predicting the rise of a man
calling to the end of idolatry. Thus, when he returned to Mecca and heard Abu
Bakr talking about Muhammad’s claim to prophethood he converted immediately.

This was a time when very few people knew about the new
religion, and the famous House of Arqam, where Prophet Muhammad taught a secret
group of believers, had not yet been established. Thus Abdur-Rahman had his
faith honed and polished from the very beginning, and it was at this time that
Prophet Muhammad changed his name from Abdu Amru, a name representative of
idolatry, to Abdur-Rahman meaning slave of the Most Gracious. Abdur-Rahman has
been described as light skinned, tall, with lots of hair that he tied at the
back of his head in a knot, as was the custom of the time.

Although an established trader Abdur-Rahman also
suffered under the severe persecution the Meccan elite imposed upon the early
believers. Thus, when Prophet Muhammad sent a group of people to seek refuge
in Abyssinia Abdur-Rahman was among them. After hearing the news that life in
Mecca had begun to improve Abdur-Rahman returned to Mecca to find the
persecution and oppression was ongoing, thus he was among the believers that
migrated to Madina. Most had to stealthily and quickly leave Mecca and Abdur-Rahman,
like many others, left with only the clothes on his back and what he could
carry easily.

Once in Madina, Prophet Muhammad set about uniting the
two groups of Muslims, those who emigrated and those who were residents of
Madina. He paired them up, a man from Mecca with a man from Madina, and they
became as close as blood brothers. They shared everything, and since those in
Madina had more of everything they became known as the Helpers. Abdur-Rahman
was paired with Saad ibn Ar-Rabi. Saad was a very wealthy man and even offered
Abdur-Rahman half his business empire that included successful orchards. Abdur-Rahman
thanked him and supplicated for him profusely but did not accept. Instead he
asked to be directed to the marketplace.[3]
Within a very short space of time Abdur-Rahman had established himself as a
successful business entrepreneur and is known to have said that if he picked up
a rock it would not have surprised him to find gold or silver.

Abdur-Rahman was soon an extraordinarily wealthy man. However,
he did not let the wealth corrupt him. Due to his closeness to Prophet
Muhammad Abdur-Rahman’s understanding of Islam was very profound. He was
generous to a fault and knew that by giving away his wealth he was pleasing God
and multiplying his riches. By following the traditions of Prophet Muhammad,
he helped people secretly and openly. He knew his entrepreneurial skills were
gifts from God and it made him happy to be able to share his wealth.

He is known to have given 2000 dinars to subsidize an
expeditionary force, and at many other times, for the sake of God and for the
benefit of Islam, he gave freely. He used his wealth at different times for
different purposes; examples of his generosity include donating 400 ounces of
gold, 500 camels and 500 horses. He also freed groups of slaves and donated
400 dinars each to the survivors of the Battle of Badr. Abdur-Rahman did not
neglect his other duties because of his businesses. He participated in all the
battles and skirmishes and was one of the men severely wounded at Uhud, after
which he forever walked with a limp.[4]
The last battle that Prophet Muhammad took part in was at Tabuk and it was
there that Abdur-Rahman was given an honor never before bestowed upon anyone
else. It was the time for prayer and Prophet Muhammad was not there so the
believers chose Abdur-Rahman to lead them. During the prayer Prophet Muhammad
arrived and took a position behind Abdur-Rahman.

After Prophet Muhammad died Abdur-Rahman continued to
amass wealth and took it upon himself to look after the Mothers of the
Believers (the widows of Prophet Muhammad). He provided for their living
expenses, financed their pilgrimages to Mecca and left an orchard worth 400,000
dinars to be distributed amongst them.[5]
At the end of his life, even though he had been given the good news of Paradise,
Abdur-Rahman wept worried that he had been given his reward in this life rather
than in the next. He was a generous and selfless man dedicated to God, Prophet
Muhammad and Islam, and was constantly aware that wealth, not properly utilized,
could easily lead to corruption and an eternal downfall.

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